Another Way Back
by MasterofCupcakes
Summary: "Wha-what did you just say?" Nya asked. The Djinn had dropped the Sword of Souls and he looked at the Blue Ninja in shock. But Jay was confused. He didn't understand what was going on. Only when he heard those five words, Jay realised what had just happened. "Your wish… is yours to keep." (An alternate version of episode 64). *EDITED VERSION*
1. One Goal, One Mission

**Here I am, struggling to find the time to update my other stories and yet starting another one… but I have a good reason (a couple of reasons, actually):**

 **I have a stupid cold and thus had to take the bus instead of my bike, giving me some extra time for writing :). But I only took my tablet with me, so I didn't have my notes/drafts for the other stories that are on the laptop.**

 **This is basically an alternative version of 'The Way Back'. Before episode 64 happened, probably a lot of fans had their own ideas about what Jay's 'Wish from the Heart' was going to be. So did I. And I've been thinking about turning it into a story for quite a while, so I just went for it… also this one is obviously 'Skybound'-based, so it probably makes sense to post at least parts of it before DotD (UK are also getting it this Saturday!).**

 **Instead of rewriting the whole episode, I've decided to keep most of the original plot and just make a few changes (one of them being the ending). The whole story is not very long (I'm not going to write the parts that remain the same so there are some time skips!). It was written as a one-shot, but will be posted as three short chapters.**

 **Warning: This is NOT one of my usual 'cute and fluffy' stories. Rated T for good reasons!**

 **And I still don't own Ninjago!**

 **The first chapter is kind of a 'missing scene' quite at the beginning of the episode.  
**

* * *

Chapter 1: One goal, one mission

"Who wants to crash a wedding?"

Those words he had said just a few minutes ago were still on Jay's mind, when he led his teammates to the island of the Airjitzu Temple. Unlike the first time when he and the _Ninja Replacements_ had gone this way, they didn't bother about the warriors' way of travelling in shadows. No, they were just running in plain sight. After the little incident at the shed, they didn't have to worry about being spotted. The only pirates left on the islands were Nadakhan's inner crew who were with him inside the temple.

"Who wants to crash a wedding?"

Jay had briefly updated his brothers on what had happened since they had been trapped inside the Sword of Souls and they were all keen to get back into action.

Kai was particularly restless. Of course, the Red Ninja had been imprisoned the longest, he could hardly pace himself not to run ahead without knowing the way. And Jay could see the wounded pride in his eyes, when Kai realised that he had been the first one to be tricked by the evil Djinn. And on top of it, his sister had been taken _again_.

"Who wants to crash a wedding?"

For some reason, they had all silently agreed to follow _his_ lead. Sure, Jay was more familiar with the whole situation and the location, but that still didn't change anything about the fact that he was not great at this job. No, honestly, he _really_ sucked at it. But suddenly, everyone seemed to have forgotten his disaster a while back in Stixx.

Jay just wanted Cole to take over, both the heavy sword and the responsibility. Only the Black Ninja didn't.

Jay knew that this was Cole's way of apologising to him. During their brief encounter on board the Misfortune's Keep, there had been no opportunity. Before Nadakhan had captured Jay on Tiger Widow Island, they had argued, even though they had promised each other never to fight again. Simply put, Jay had been an idiot and Cole had been a jerk. And now Cole wanted to prove to his best friend how much he trusted and respected him. But Jay was just so tired.

"Who wants to crash a wedding?"

He had tried to sound optimistic. After all, he had to convince his friends that they would be able to stop Nadakhan from marrying Nya and obtaining infinite wishes, although deep inside he had serious doubts about it himself.

His signature 'positive thinking' had helped him get through the events of the past few days, but was slowly crumbling now. Jay had always thought that as long as he was with his friends – his family, then everything was alright.

But… it wasn't. First of all, one of them was still missing. And second, all of them had made mistakes; even the Green Ninja had gotten himself captured. Sure, Jay had baldly screwed up as well, probably even worse than the others, but _he_ hadn't given up. He: the carefree Blue Ninja, always the first one to lose it, and the first one who had been approached by Nadakhan. Even the Djinn must have considered him the easiest target. But he had proven him wrong.

"Who wants to crash a wedding?"

They were getting closer to the temple, closer to Nya, and closer to hopefully 'crashing' the wedding. But at the same time, Lloyd was lagging further and further behind the rest of his team. He hadn't been able to get used to his aged body yet and was struggling to keep up with the pace of his brothers.

Not that long ago, he had been the little brat in the black hoodie, who did nothing but annoy them. When all they wanted was for Lloyd to grow up. And now all that was left of the young child was his still youthful voice, which would serve as a constant reminder of his lost childhood. No, this wasn't fair.

Jay had a sad smile on his face, when he remembered how he and Lloyd used to argue endlessly about the famous line from the Starfarer comics. He couldn't convince the stubborn younger boy that 'Fear' was the correct word to use. Lloyd just kept saying 'Fair. Fair isn't a word where I come from.' And unfortunately, this had now become his own motto.

Jay refused to think about the person who had originally used this phrase. Regardless of any biological relationship, Cliff Gordon was _not_ his father. Jay Walker would never again be ashamed of being a poor junkyard kid with embarrassing parents.

"Who wants to crash a wedding?"

But it was something else that crashed first. They were just approaching the bridge to the temple island, when suddenly cracks of all sizes appeared in the ground all over Djinnjago, further splitting the individual land fragments. Pieces of rock came off the edges of the floating islands and plunged down towards Ninjago.

"Is everyone alright?" Cole asked, watching the bridge collapse. "What is happening? It looks like Djinnjago is starting to break apart. But why?"

"I have analysed different options. The most logical explanation is that Nadakhan himself was never strong enough to keep Djinnjago in the sky." Zane explained.

"To create a flying archipelago of this size, Nadakhan used the Sword of Souls. He used… _our_ powers. And now that our souls have escaped from the Sword, it has lost some of its strength and Djinnjago is falling apart."

No, it wasn't just Djinnjago that was falling apart. Jay's entire world continued to crumble.

Sensei Wu had erred. The wise man with the long white beard. Had. Been. Wrong.

"According to ou... my calculations the sword is still powerful enough to keep the main land mass of Djinnjago afloat for now." Zane continued. "But it is very unstable, so we need to warn our friends on the ground that they to get the people of Ninjago to safety as fast as they can."

 _My_ calculations. Not ours. Not Pixal's. Jay could tell that Zane was suffering from the loss of his female companion. Maybe they would be able to recover her code from Zane's latest backup. Jay was sure that he had saved the one from when they had updated his language database. But would Zane actually _want_ to replace her with a copy?

Speaking of which, the White Ninja had not said much in relation to the surprising discovery of his 'brother'. Jay had known Dr Julien only for a brief period of time, but he remembered the inventor as a very kind and devoted man. So it was just incomprehensible how he could have left the younger nindroid behind at the lighthouse, when the Ninja had rescued him during their journey to the Dark Island…

"Lloyd, do you still have the comms device to contact the Bounty? They were going to find our ship to get back down to Ninjago." Jay was grateful that Cole had finally taken over command.

"Already on it." The Green Ninja confirmed.

"On the plus side, they don't have to worry about any more parts of Ninjago going up." The Master of Earth added. "And this new development is also good news for us, because it means that Nadakhan is not all powerful yet, so we still have time to stop the wedding."

"Then, let's go and save my sister." Kai used his Airjitzu to get across to the chasm between the islands. Lloyd and Zane followed promptly.

But the other two Ninja stayed behind. Jay gave his best friend a questioning look. "When did _you_ become such an optimist?"

"When I realised that _you_ were starting to lose hope. This team seriously needs some positive thinking." The ghost grinned. "And I had a really great teacher. Now c'mon, let's go and crash that wedding."

* * *

(Time Skip)

Nadakhan was furious. Not only has those pesky Ninja managed to escape from him and his multiple copies, they had also got his last two crewmates to join their side.

The Djinn was completely on his own now.

No, he wasn't. Nadakhan's hard face softened, when he approached Nya's sleeping body. He took in her features. She was just as beautiful as Delara. And with a bit more time, he would manage to fully turn her into his true love.

"Wake up." He commanded. Nya's eyes snapped open, revealing her stunning brown orbs. But… they were not green. Maybe he could wish to change that right now…

"You! What have you done to my friends? I-I…"

Nya angrily attacked him, but she was still weakened after she had just woken up from the Djinn's spell, so Nadakhan easily fended her off.

What a very passionate woman she was! Yes, she surely was going to make a wonderful wife. But first, he needed to break her strong will.

"Ah, my dear. I would not recommend that. You are mine now and we want to get on well with each other, don't we?" Nadakhan grinned evilly. "I wish… for you to obey me."

The girl glared at him, her eyes filled with hatred for the Djinn. He could see the struggle inside her between her own mind fighting his command. But in the end, the wish was stronger.

Nya lowered her head in defeat. Nadakhan could see how ashamed she was of herself.

"Yes… master." She replied.


	2. One Wish

**I hope you all had a great Halloween! I enjoyed it a lot, although it is not a 'traditional' holiday for me. In my family, we more celebrate All Saints' Day (which is today!).**

 **Thanks a lot for the reviews (to MMM, Attack on MLG, FropessionalWriter, and Fairycakeater) and to everyone who has followed/favourited this story!**

* * *

Chapter 2: One Wish

(Time Skip)

Jay panted heavily as he barely evaded yet another blast of Nadakhan's power. Still firmly holding onto the Sword of Souls, he crouched down behind a large rock and looked around the grounds of the destroyed Airjitzu Temple.

His teammates had all been hit and turned into solid golden statues, lying dispersed all over the place. So far, Jay had been able to avoid the blasts, thanks to his lightning fast reflexes. But the exhausted Blue Ninja didn't know for how much longer he would be able to continue this game just on his own. And for how much longer he would be able to pull himself together.

He had to find a way to lure the powerful Djinn into the open, so that Flintlocke could shoot him with the dart filled with the Tiger Widow Venom. Then Jay would then be able to make his final wish – although he still wasn't sure if this really was the right one.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are…" Jay could hear Nadakhan's voice teasing him. But as much as it pained him to remain silent, Jay could not reveal his position. But how could he make Nadakhan leave his protected position among the ruins of what used to be Sensei Yang's Temple?

Jay had an idea. He took a deep breath and, with all his remaining strength, managed to throw the Sword of Souls right in the centre of the courtyard.

He waited anxiously for the Djinn to appear in his – and Flintlocke's – view, but instead he heard Nadakhan's silky voice.

"Get it." He ordered.

"Yes, master." A broken female voice replied.

Jay swallowed hard. It was Nya's voice. Nadakhan had made her his slave and the power of his wish was forcing her to obey his every command.

The Blue Ninja recognized the gentle sound of her steps, when she went to recover the sword for her master. Jay carefully peeked around the edge of the rock to take a short glance at her. Her elegant wedding dress was ripped and he could see that she had cried. Jay was sure that these had been tears of anger rather than of sadness. The strong minded girl must be furious that she was again forced to act as someone she didn't want to be.

When she bent down to grip the hilt, her eyes – why were they green? – briefly met Jay's. She gave him a weak encouraging smile, yet it was not small enough to escape Nadakhan's attention.

"As you appear to have spotted him, bring me the sword _and_ the Ninja, my dear." The Djinn called to Nya, certain that Jay would not put up any resistance against the girl. And he was right.

Jay sighed. He stood up and left the temporary safety of his hiding place with raised hands.

Nya roughly grapped his arm and pulled him along. "I am sorry Jay." She whispered. "I _have_ to follow his orders…"

"Blue Ninja. We finally meet again on _my_ terms." Nadakhan addressed him. "What am I going to do with you now?"

Jay didn't say anything, so the other one continued.

"I don't think there is any need to restrain you. As long as _she_ is under my control, then so are you…" Unfortunately, the Djinn was right again.

"Walk with me." He requested.

Confident that he was safe and had nothing to fear anymore, Nadakhan led Jay across the courtyard.

"At first I was angry with you for destroying the temple, but in fact I need to thank you for saving me some work." He told him. "It has fulfilled its purpose with the wedding, so it is of no use to me anymore. I am going to build my own palace on this spot. Thanks to her I can turn this place into anything I desire."

He gestured at the golden statue of Lloyd.

"Your friends will make a beautiful decoration; and they will serve as a constant reminder of _my_ victory and _your_ failure. But… _you_ will not join them."

Jay gave him a questioning look.

"I am not done with you yet. It's not like you or your little wish would matter anymore, but I want to finish the game we started on board the Misfortune's Keep. I still want to break you. I want to make you wish it all away. And I want _your_ element in _my_ sword."

But Jay was tired of Nadakhan's games.

"I will give it to you, if you promise not to hurt Nya." He offered.

The Djinn laughed.

"No one has ever managed to resist me for so long and now you're just giving up. Where is the fun in that?" He complained. "I should have guessed that threatening Nya instead of you would be the key to get your final wish. If only I had …"

Nadakhan shook his head.

"No. One thing I have learned in all those centuries is that wishes which mess with time only cause trouble and a lot of confusion…"

He kept talking and Jay pretended to listen, while lagging further and further behind him.

 _Is this how my friends feel when I won't shut up about something they don't want to hear?_ He thought.

But then, all of a sudden, there was silence. Nadakhan had stopped in his speech and was looking down on himself.

Jay could feel the ground tremble slightly beneath his feet, but still there was no sound.

Then the Djinn turned around and Jay could see the splatters of green all over his chest.

Flintlocke had taken his shot and it had been a perfect hit. The pirate had even waited for Jay to be in a safe distance from the target, so that the Lightning Master would not get hit by the venom as well.

Just as Soto had told them, Nadakhan was weakened by the venom and his magic was starting to fail.

Having finally been able to fight off his wish, Nya gasped for air. Jay quickly rushed over to catch her shaking body and embraced her tightly. When she hugged him back, he briefly felt as if everything was alright. But of course he knew that it wasn't.

They watched as their brothers turned back to their normal appearance yet Nadakhan still had enough strength to keep them stunned.

And the effects of the venom would only be temporary, so it was time to act. Jay had to make his wish. It was now or never.

He started walking towards Nadakhan. Trying to keep his voice steady, he broke the silence. "Nadakhan, I wish you weren't…"

"I know exactly what you are planning to do." The weakened Djinn interrupted him. "I hope you know that, even when I am mortal, Nya will still be my wife."

This caught the two Ninja completely off guard, they had never thaught about this.

Sure, Jay had doubts about the adequacy of this wish before, but, for lack of a better alternative, he had still been determined to go through with it, even though this was certainly not his _wish from the heart_. But, with this new revelation, he just couldn't make this wish now.

What if he wished to reverse the wedding? That would take away Nadakhan's powers _and_ save Nya, right? But… it would not really stop him but merely cause a delay to his plan, until he would find her again – or even somebody else. And they couldn't hide from him forever.

Also, the Djinn had kind of warned him not to turn back time… sure, Nadakhan couldn't be trusted, but Jay felt that this time had actually told the truth.

Jay still needed more time to make a decision, but the effects of the venom were slowly fading.

"The-there are laws, y-you know." He desperately told the Djinn. "This w-was a forced wedding, sh-she n-never agreed to m-marrying you."

"Nice try." Nadakhn laughed. "But this here is not Ninjago anymore, this is and will be Djinnjago. _My_ kingdom and _my_ rules!"

This was it. This was the final straw for Jay.

"How can you call yourself king?" He shouted. "Do you really think that this is what your father wanted when he bequeathed to you the Sword of Souls? To destroy another realm for revenge? To become a tyrant? Do you thin this is what… _Delara_ would have wanted?"

Nadakhan stopped laughing and silently looked at him.

"Yes." Jay continued. "I heard the crew talk about Delara, when I was your prisoner. They all spoke very fondly of her, calling her a fierce pirate with a heart of gold. If only she could see you now. I-I wish that she could see what has become of you…"

Jay took a deep breath. He really had needed this. He had pulled himself together for so long, without 'pulling a Jay' (as Cole teasingly called it), he couldn't deny that this had felt good.

But, this was the end. He just didn't know what do – or what to wish. His _heart_ was still clueless and now his _brain_ had stopped functioning as well.

Jay closed his eyes and hugged Nya tighter, letting his tears stream down his face. He had failed _her_. No matter what he would do now, he wouldn't be able to save Nya from her fate.

The Djinn had won. No, there was no more fighting it. Jay just wanted to wish it all away… And... maybe he could wish her away with him…

But, out of a sudden, Jay heard something fall. He opened his eyes. Nadakhan had dropped the Sword of Souls and he looked at the Blue Ninja in shock.

"Wha-what did you just say?" Nya asked, her eyes wide open.

But... Jay was confused. He didn't understand what exactly was going on right now.

Only when he heard those five words, Jay realised what had just happened.

"Your wish… is yours to keep."


	3. One Ending

**Yay, I finally got to write some fluff in this chapter ;).**

 **Thank you for your comments to Fairycakeater, MMM, FropessionalWriter, LiaLia15, TheAmberShadow, StoryMaker7, and The Mayor of Ninjago City!**

* * *

Chapter 3: One Ending

What happened next was highly unspectacular. Jay had gotten so used to Nadakhan's rather dramatic ways of turning up that it was almost disappointing when Delara _just_ materialised out of nowhere, without any ' _poof!'_ or other special effect.

She was suddenly standing in the centre of the courtyard. From the way she scanned her surroundings, Jay assumed that she was just as surprised and probably wondering _where_ she was and _how_ she had gotten there.

Although she had just returned from the dead, Delara did not look like the ghosts they had previously encountered. Her face had the regular [LEGO-]yellow skintone and her outfit showed the same brown, orange, and dark green colours as the other Skypirates' uniforms, although in a much more elegant, female style. The only small detail that could reveal her condition was her slightly transparent body.

And there was no denying that, despite their age difference by quite a few years, the former quartermaster of the Misfortune's Keep had a striking resemblance to Nya. Their faces and eyes had identical shapes and they also shared the colour and style of their hair. And when he saw the shade of green in Delara's eyes, Jay understood that Nadakhan must have changed Nya's eye colour to make her look even more like his lover.

But the years she had spent living the tough and adventurous life of a pirate had left signs on Delara's body. A long scar ran over her left exposed arm and Jay noticed the serious and very tense expression on her face.

"Delara." The Djinn whispered and floated over to her.

She turned around and her face softened immediately. "My love." She replied. "My only wish has finally come true."

When they embraced in a long and passionate kiss, Jay almost felt like intruding their private moment, so he buried his face in Nya's hair, while she snuggled into his chest.

"What happened to your arm?" Nadakhan ran his thumb [I know they don't have fingers, but I didn't want to write 'claw'] over the scar on Delara's arm.

"Soto." She replied. "When you were… gone, we set out to recover the Teapot of Tyrahn from him. After several months, we finally located the _Destiny's Bounty_ and immediately attacked. While his crew were distracted, I was able to sneak into Soto's quarters and find the teapot. Unfortunately, Soto discovered me and gave me this scar, but I still managed to escape back to the _Misfortune's_ _Keep_ with the teapot. We then tried to get away from them, but they wouldn't let us and so the battle went on. In the end, both ships sunk and both crews were floating on nothing but a few planks in the ocean. We were spotted by the governor's fleet who came to 'rescue' us. But I knew that arrested pirates were usually banished as punishment and I didn't want to survive just so that I would have to spend the rest of my life in a different realm without any chance of ever seeing you again, so I held on to the teapot and swam away until… I drowned."

The reunited couple continued to talk quietly among themselves, completely in a world of their own.

"Do you think they would notice if we tried to get away?" Nya whispered.

"I don't know. But Nadakhan _will_ miss you, when he wants to make his next wish…" Jay answered. "I don't want to hide from him for the rest of our lives..."

So they stayed.

 _At least my wish was not completely wasted. Nadakhan is happy to be back with Delara, which mean that Nya should have nothing to fear from him. He can't let us go, because he needs her to make his wishes, but maybe he'll just leave us alone otherwise…_

"Where are we, my love?" Delara asked, all of a sudden. "I don't remember this place."

The Djinn, who was still holding her in two of his arms, gestured around with his other two appendages. "This, my dear, is our new home." He told her. "This is Djinnjago."

"Djinnjago?" She was surprised. "Of course you have told me about your home realm. But… from what I remember I would have expected it to look… different. What happened to this place? And… where is your family?"

Nadakhan's expression darkened instantly.

"The _real_ Djinnjago has been destroyed and I am the last of my kind. But before he died, my father finally accepted me as his son and he gave me the Sword of Souls, the weapon of the Djinn King." He told his lover. "With its power, I was able to recreate my home. Unfortunately, there were a few… people here who did not agree with my plan." Nadakhan pointed at the stunned Ninja. "But don't worry, I took care of them and now we can turn this place into whatever we want to. I can give you whatever you wish for."

"But how?" Delara was confused. "I thought…"

"Thanks to her."

Only then she noticed Jay and Nya who were still holding on to each other.

"You mean her? She-she looks so much like me… And… why is he wearing your mother's dress…?"

Delara understood. "You-you've replaced me?" She turned away from her lover. "And with a scared little girl?"

"This _scared little girl_ is gonna kick your butt…" Nya hissed furiously and it took all of Jay's strength to hold her back.

"Delara." The Djinn tried to console her. "I only married her so I would become the new Djinn King. But she could never replace you in my heart."

"You've married _her_ , yet you still claim to love _me_? This is not the way to treat _either_ of us." Delara stated firmly. "And how exactly did you create this new Djinnjago?"

She walked away from the pirate captain, to the edge of the floating island. "Is this... Ninjago?" She asked, when she saw the shattered land below her.

"I had to.. borrow a few pieces to build this place for us."

Delara turned back to the Djinn King, fury glistening in her green eyes. "You've destroyed parts of _my_ home to recreate a place that had disowned you, just so you could satisfy your grand ego and become king." She shouted. "No, you didn't build anything for us, Nadakhan. You've only built this place for yourself."

"Delara…"

"Did you honestly think that I would approve of this? Because… if you did, then… you never knew me at all."

"Forgive me my love." Nadakhan responed. "And if you wish so, I-we will fix everything."

" _We_ will not fix anything."

"Please… don't leave me." And with this, the mighty Djinn King fell to his knees, a pleading look on his face.

Jay even began to feel sorry for him. This was not one of Nadakhan's usual tricks, but, just like Jay himself, he was willing to do anything for his true love. And the Blue Ninja knew too well how much it hurts to be rejected by exactly this person.

"I believe you. But I have to go. This is _your_ and _her_ kingdom, not mine." Delara told him.

"Then I _wish_ for you to stay!" Nadakhan shouted desperately.

"Ah, but don't you remember? You've once made the promise that you would _never_ use or turn anyone's wish against me?" She pointed at Jay. " _His_ wish only worked because _I_ wanted it as well."

She gently kissed his head. "Goodbye my love."

Delara went to pick up the Sword of Souls that was still lying in the same spot. She then came over to the two Ninja who had finally raised from their previous position.

"All I ever wanted was to see him again. But I should have known that wishes _never_ turn out the way you want them to… I still thank you." She told them with a broken smile, handing the sword to Jay. "I think you know what to do to save your home. Take good care of it." Jay nodded. Delara looked at Nya. "And you take good care of him. I can see that you are more than just a scared little girl."

The female pirate began to fade away.

Jay took Nya's hand and together they walked over to Nadakhan who was still kneeling on the ground. He could feel Nya squeeze his hand lightly as a small enouragement. Yes, they both knew what he had to do. And how much depended on it. But that still didn't make it easier to actually go through with it.

"Now you know what it feels like to lose everything – or everyone – that is important to you. Now you know what you have done to us." Jay began with a trembling voice. "It hurts, doesn't it?" He continued. "But… there is an easy way to end your suffering. Just say it and you won't feel anything anymore…"

"I wish…" Nadakhan whispered. "I wish… it all away."

* * *

Jay was standing at the edge of the temple island and looked down. Although he had already spent a lot of – _way too much_ – time on the floating islands, he had not been able earlier to appreciate the marvellous view over Ninjago from up here. He could see areas that had been severely damaged by the falling rocks and, of course, the multitude of large and small craters, where pieces of the land were missing. Yet…

"It's still beautiful, isn't it? I am glad that there is still a good bit left of Ninjago." Jay turned to see his best friend standing next to him. "You did really well. And not just today…"

Jay sighed. "Thanks. It's just strange… despite all that has happened, I still feel sorry for Nadakhan. He truly loved Delara and all he _really_ wanted was to have her back… And when she left him, he just... gave up."

 _And in the end, he must have had regrets about what he has done to us. Why else would he release Nya and my brothers from his wishes...  
_

Cole grinned. "I guess people – and apparently Djinns as well – tend to do a lot of stupid things for love, heh?"

The wo friends walked over to Zane and Lloyd who were sitting on an overturned pillar on one side of the courtyard. The sword of the Djinn King was lying on the ground between them.

"My mum is on her way to pick us up." Lloyd told his teammates. "We thought that you would prefer to take the Bounty down rather than your dragon."

"Thanks." Jay nodded. "I've really missed our ship." _…and my own bed._ "Where are the others?"

"Nya wanted to see if she could find her Ninja suit. And Kai didn't want to let her go alone." The Green Ninja answered. "Flintlocke and Dogshank left with the raid zeppelin. They didn't say where they were going, but they've promised to keep in touch."

 _I bet they are heading towards the coast, they've always preferred the sea to the sky._

"And I have completed a full analysis of Djinnjago." Zane explained. "The Sword of Souls holds enough power now to keep the islands stably in the sky. We could try to convince the people who have lost their lands to move up here."

"Also, we have to keep the sword safe, of course." Lloyd added.

"Yeah, because we did such a great job with the Realm Crystal…" Kai commented. He and his sister had just returned from the ruins of the Temple of Sensei Yang.

"Ah, this feels _much_ better." Nya presented her Airjitzu suit to her teammates.

"It looks great as well, maybe should wear _this_ for your next wedding then." Cole told her, giving a wink at Jay.

Jay blushed. "Uhm… so… what shall we do until Misako arrives with the Bounty?" He asked, eager to change the topic.

"I think I'm going to head down to Ninjago on my elemental dragon now, I really need some more exercise after being stuck in that stupid sword for so long." Kai replied. "And they could probably use a bit of help down there."

"Are you going to find out how much exactly we owe to Skylor?" Cole asked. "Don't think she was talking about money…"

"Maybe…"

Jay was sure that there was also a third reason why Kai had wanted to leave straight away. It must be painful for the Red Ninja to see his sister in her new outfit. The Airjitzu suit kind of stood for everything that had happened during the time that Kai was gone. Everything that he had missed.

When they had lost their parents, Kai had sworn to protect Nya. And he had always done so. He had only joined the team in the first place to rescue Nya from Lord Garmadon. And Jay knew that Kai used to be very proud of the fact that he had witnessed every important event in his sister's life: her first word, her first steps, the first time she did Spinjitzu (although that had been a rather unpleasant experience on the Dark Island). But he had _not_ seen her do Airjitzu for the first time. And he hadn't been around to protect her from the Djinn.

Jay was glad that Nadakhan's own wished had all ceased at the same time, so Nya's eyes had turned back to their ususal brown shade, before Kai could see her.

"With your permission, I would like to join you on the journey, Kai. I also want to give my support our the people on the ground. And there is another… new friend… down there who we need to thank."

"Alright, let's go."

Kai gave his sister a firm hug, before he and Zane headed off on their dragons.

The four remaining Ninja sat down again.

"When Nadakhan set us free from _his_ wishes, why did he not reverse _our_ wishes as well?" Lloyd asked. "Does that really mean that he was never in control of them, just like Jay suggested earlier? And... does that also mean that _we_ have the power to do it ourselves?" There was a small hint of hope in the Green Ninja's voice.

His friends shrugged their shoulders.

"I really don't know." Cole admitted. "But don't you remember what we said when we were stuck on Tiger Widow Island: If you want something bad enough, you will find a way to make it happen."

Cole was actually doing a pretty good job at delivering the power of positive thinking to the team. But it was time for Jay to take back that role. He smiled at the child in the old man's body. "And we will all find this way together. I promise."

He felt Nya take his hand and give it a little sqeeze. Jay looked at her. And when he saw her smile at him, everything seemed to be alright for a brief moment.

Yes, right now he was sure that, with a bit of time and maybe some help from old and new friends, they would all be able to somehow recover from the recent events.

But first, he really needed to sleep.

* * *

 **I know that, if you take her brief appearance in the actual episode as canon, Delara is completely OOC in this story, mainly for three reasons:**

 **1) I had the initial idea for this ending before watching** _ **The Way Back**_ **(although the final story was then based on the actual episode).**

 **2) Nadakhan did not turn Nya into Delara here (he still** _ **wanted**_ **to change her though).**

 **3) I actually didn't like what they did with her. I mean, she immediately forgave Nadakhan and accepted what he did. I think that she is a very interesting and rather tragic charater and would have deserved a bit more backstory and/or 'action' ;).  
**

 **Please review. I would love some feed back (even if you didn't like the story/ending)!**

 **[This is an edited version of this chapter.]**


	4. The Full Story (edited)

**So, I have started posting some of my stories on wattpad, giving them some additional editing (usually just a little bit of 'polishing') in the process. But when I re-read this story, I noticed a few parts that I simply didn't like anymore. I actually wasn't too happy with the ending (i.e. the fact that Lloyd and Zane had not 'recovered' from their wishes) even when I first posted it; this has been fixed now.**

 **But because of the major changes, I didn't want to simply replace the existing chapter. So, here is the** **complete** **edited/re-written story!**

* * *

Part 1: Let's crash a wedding!

 _Who wants to crash a wedding?_

Those six _way too optimistic_ words were still on Jay's mind, when he led his four teammates across the floating islands, towards the Temple of Airjitzu.

Not too long ago, he and his group of _Ninja Replacements_ had come more or less the same way, but this here and now was a completely different journey.

Although one of them (and, in fact, the most important one to the Blue Ninja) was still missing, it was still comforting to have his _real_ team back. And, unlike earlier, the five Masters of Spinjitzu didn't bother about the Ninja's way of travelling in shadows. No, they were just running across Djinnjago in plain sight. After the little _incident_ at the shed, they didn't have to worry about being spotted by guards anymore. Or rather, they didn't have to worry about _guards_ at all... The only skypirates left on the islands belonged to Nadakhan's inner crew. And those were inside the Temple with their captain and his bride.

Jay stopped and turned around to see if his brothers were still following his lead.

He had briefly updated his team on what had happened since their entrapement inside the _Sword of Souls_ and they were all keen to get back into action.

Kai was particularly restless. Understandibly. The Red Ninja had been imprisoned the longest, he could hardly pace himself to not run ahead without knowing the way. Jay had seen the wounded pride showing in the Master of Fire's eyes, when Kai had realised that _he_ had been the _first_ one to fall for the evil Djinn's tricks, whereas Jay had still managed to evade the same fate. And, on top of it, his little sister had been kidnapped _again_.

 _Who wants to crash a wedding?_ He had asked and his four brothers had answered.

For some reason, Jay's teammates had all silently agreed to follow _his_ lead. Sure, he was more familiar with the whole situation and the location, but that still didn't change anything about the fact that he was not great at this job. No, honestly, Jay really _sucked_ at leading the team. But suddenly, everyone seemed happy enough to forget the mess he had caused in Stiix, really not that long ago.

Jay himself just wanted his best friend to take over, both the heavy weapon he was carrying and the responsibility. Only, the Black Ninja didn't.

Jay knew that this was Cole's way of apologising to him.

Before Nadakhan had captured Jay on Tiger Widow Island, the two friends had argued, even though they had promised each other at Master Chen's Tournament to _never_ fight each other again. Well, simply put, Jay had been an idiot and Cole had been a jerk. And now Cole wanted to prove to his friend how much he trusted and respected him. The Black Ninja had always preferred actions over words.

If only Jay wasn't so incredibly tired, then maybe he would be able to appeciate this little gesture.

 _Who wants to crash a wedding?_ Jay had tried his best to sound positive.

After all, he had to convince his friends that they would be able to stop Nadakhan from marrying Nya and obtaining infinite wishes. But secretly, Jay had serious doubts about the success of their mission.

The power of his signature _positive thinking_ had helped the young man get through the events of the past few days, but it was slowly crumbling now.

He had always thought that all he needed was to be with his friends – his family - again, and then everything would just fall into place and be alright.

Only just, it wasn't. First of all, Nya was not with him. And secondly, _all_ of them had made mistakes; even the famous Green Ninja had managed to get himself captured. Sure, Jay had baldly screwed up as well, probably even worse than the others, but _he_ hadn't given up. He, the carefree Blue Ninja, the comic relief of the team, always the first one to lose it, and the first one who had been approached by Nadakhan. Even the Djinn must have considered him the easiest target. But Jay had proven him wrong.

 _Who wants to crash a wedding?_

They were getting closer to the temple, closer to Nya, and closer to hopefully _crashing_ the wedding instead of getting crashed themselves. But at the same time, Lloyd was lagging further and further behind the rest of his team. The Master of Energy hadn't gotten used to his aged body yet and was severely struggling to keep up with the pace of his brothers.

Jay still remembered Lloyd as the small boy in the black hoodie, who would prank and constantly annoy them. Not that long ago, the four older Ninja had all just waited for the moment, when the little brat would finally _grow up_. And now, all that was left of this time was his still youthful voice, which would serve as a constant reminder of his lost childhood.

The auburn-haired Ninja smiled sadly, when he remembered the times when he and Lloyd would argue endlessly about the famous line from their beloved _Starfarer_ comics. He couldn't convince the stubborn younger boy that 'Fear' was the correct word to use. Lloyd just kept saying 'Fair. Fair isn't a word where I come from.' And unfortunately, he had been right in his own way. No, this wasn't _fair_ at all.

Jay still refused to think about the person who had made this phrase famous. Regardless of any biological relationship, Cliff Gordon was _not_ his father. Jay _Walker_ would never again be ashamed of being a poor junkyard kid with embarrassing parents.

 _Who wants to crash a wedding?_

But it was something else that crashed first. They were just approaching the bridge to the Temple Island, when suddenly cracks of all sizes started to appear in the grounds all over Djinnjago, even splitting some of the smaller islands. Pieces of rock came off the edges of the land fragments and plummeted down towards Ninjago.

"Is everyone alright?" Cole asked, watching the bridge collapse. "What is happening? It looks like this place is falling apart. But why?"

" _I_ have analysed different solutions to this problem. And the most logical explanation is that Nadakhan was never strong enough to keep Djinnjago in the sky himself." Zane explained. "To create a flying archipelago of this size, Nadakhan needed the _Sword of Souls_. He needed... _our_ powers. And now that our souls have escaped, the sword has lost some of its strength, and yes, Djinnjago is indeed breaking apart." He confirmed Cole's guess.

But it wasn't just _Djinnjago_ that was falling apart. Jay's entire _world_ continued to crumble as realisation hit him: Wu had erred.

Their Sensei, the wise old man with the long white beard. Had. Been. Wrong.

"According to ou-my calculations, the sword is still powerful enough to keep the main land mass of Djinnjago afloat. At least for now" Zane continued.

 _My_ calculations. Not _ours_. Not _PIXAL's_. Jay could tell that Zane was deeply suffering from the loss of his female companion. Maybe they would be able to recover her code from the Nindroid's latest backup? He was sure that they would be able to do that. But, on the other hand, would the Titanium Ninja actually _want_ to replace her with a copy?

Speaking of which, Zane had said hardly anything in relation to the surprising discovery of his _brother_ , Echo. And his teammates had wisely avoided the topic.

Although he had had more time to process the information, Jay still didn't know what to make of it. He had known Dr Julien only for a brief period of time, but he remembered the inventor as a very kind and devoted man. So it was just incomprehensible how he could have left the younger robot behind at the lighthouse, when the Ninja had rescued him during their journey to the _Dark Island_...

"Lloyd, do you still have the comms device to contact the _Bounty_? Wu and the others were going to take the ship to get back down to Ninjago." Cole's voice snapped him out of his thoughts; the Black Ninja had _finally_ taken over command. "We must warn our friends on the ground. They need to get the people of Ninjago to safety as fast as they can."

"Already on it." The Green Ninja confirmed.

"At least we shouldn't have to worry about any more parts of Ninjago going _up_ if he can hardly keep these ones afloat." The Master of Earth added. "And, more good news for us, as long as _Djinnjago_ keeps crumbling, we know that Nadakhan isn't all powerful yet, which means we still have time to stop that wedding."

"Then, let's go and save my sister." Kai used his Airjitzu to get across to the now bridge-less chasm between the islands. Lloyd and Zane followed promptly.

But the other two Ninja stayed behind. Jay gave his best friend a questioning look. "When did _you_ become such an optimist?"

"When I realised that _you_ were starting to lose hope. This team seriously needs some positive thinking." The ghost grinned. "And I had a really great teacher. Now c'mon, let's go and _crash that wedding_."

* * *

Part 2: After the Wedding

(Time Skip)

 _Inside the Temple_

Nadakhan was furious.

Not only has those pesky Ninja managed to escape from him and his multiple copies, they had also somehow gotten his two last - and most trusted - crewmates to join _their_ side.

Which meant that the Djinn was now entirely on his own.

But... no, he actually wasn't. Nadakhan's face immediately softened as he approached Nya's sleeping body, taking in her features. Ah, she was just as beautiful as Delara, although she appeared to be younger and more innocentthan his true love _._ But with time, _both_ could be changed, he was sure of that.

"Wake up." He commanded and Nya's eyes snapped open, revealing her stunning brown orbs. Nadakhan, however, did not appreciate their beauty. He longed to look into the passionate emerald green eyes of his former lover. But this was something he could simply wish to change right now...

"You! What have you done to my friends? I-I..."

Nya angrily attacked him, but she was still weakened after just waking up from the Djinn's spell, so Nadakhan easily fended her off.

Ahh, what a very passionate woman she was! Yes, she surely was going to make a wonderful wife to the mighty ruler of Djinnjago. But first, he needed to break her strong will.

"Ah, my dear. I would not recommend that. You are mine now and we want to get on well with each other, don't we?" Nadakhan grinned evilly. "I wish... for you to obey me."

The girl glared at him, her eyes filled with hatred for the Djinn. He could see the struggle inside the strong-headed girl, how _her_ own mind was fighting _his_ command. But in the end, the power of his wish was still stronger.

Nya lowered her head in defeat. Nadakhan could see how disgusted she was of herself.

"Yes... Master." She replied.

* * *

Part 3: An Accidental Wish

(Time Skip)

 _In the Courtyard_

Jay panted heavily as he barely evaded yet another blast of Nadakhan's power. Still firmly holding onto the _Sword of_ _Souls_ , the last remaining Ninja crouched down behind a large rock and took a look over the grounds of the destroyed _Temple of Airjitzu_.

His teammates had all been hit and turned into solid golden statues, lying dispersed all over the place. So far, Jay had been able to avoid the blasts, only thanks to his lightning fast reflexes. But the exhausted Blue Ninja didn't know for how much longer he would be able to continue this game, especially now that he had become the Djinn King's sole target. And he actually wasn't even sure if he actually still _wanted_ to keep going. But he had to try.

He had to find a way to lure the powerful villian into the open, so that Flintlocke could shoot him with the dart filled with the Tiger Widow Venom. Then Jay would be able to make his final wish – although he still had serious doubts if _this_ really was the right one.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are..." Jay could hear Nadakhan's voice teasing him. But as much as it pained him to remain silent, Jay could not reveal his location. But then, how could he make Nadakhan leave his protected position among the ruins of what used to be Sensei Yang's Temple?

Jay had an idea. He took a deep breath and, with all his remaining strength, managed to throw the _Sword of Souls_ right into the centre of the courtyard.

He waited anxiously to see Nadakhan appearing in his – and Flintlocke's – view, but he could only hear his silky voice.

"Get it." The Djinn ordered sharply

"Yes, my Master." A broken female voice replied quietly.

Jay swallowed hard. He knew that voice too well. _Nya_. Nadakhan had made her his slave and now the power of his wish was forcing her to obey his every command.

The Blue Ninja heard the familiar rhythm of her graceful steps as she went to recover the sword for her master. Jay carefully peeked around the edge of the rock, to take a short glance at her. Her elegant wedding dress was ripped and her tear-stained face made it very obvious that she had cried. Jay was certain that these had been tears of anger rather than of sadness. The strong minded girl must be furious that she was again forced to act as someone she didn't want to be.

When she bent down to grip the hilt, Nya's eyes – why were they this toxic _green_?! - briefly met Jay's. She smiled and gave him a little wink, yet it was not small enough to escape Nadakhan's attention.

"As it appears that you have spotted our enemy, get me the sword _and_ the Ninja. Well done, my dear." The Djinn called to her, certain that Jay would not put up any resistance against the girl he loved. And he was right.

Jay sighed in defeat. He stood up and left the temporary safety of his hiding place with raised hands.

Nya roughly grapped his arm and pulled him along. "I am sorry Jay." She whispered in a broken voice. "I _have_ to follow his orders. Believe me, I've tried not to..."

"Blue Ninja. Finally we meet again, and on _my_ terms." Nadakhan addressed him. "Well, well, what am I going to do with you now?"

Jay didn't say anything, so the other continued.

"I don't think there is any need to restrain you. As long as _she_ is under my control, then so are you..." Unfortunately, the Djinn was right _again_.

"Walk with me." He commanded.

Confident that he was safe now and had nothing and nobody to fear anymore, Nadakhan led Jay across the courtyard.

"At first I was angry with you for destroying the temple, but I've come to realise that I need to thank you for saving me some work." He told him. "With the wedding, this place has fulfilled its purpose and it is of no use to me anymore. I am going to build my own palace on this very spot. Thanks to _her_ I can turn this place into anything I desire. Isn't this right, my love?"

The Djinn didn't even wait for Nya's answer, but continued as he gestured at the golden statue of Lloyd.

"Your friends will make some beautiful decorations; and they will serve as a constant reminder of _my_ victory and _your_ failure. But I have decided that _you_ will not join them."

Jay gave him a questioning look.

"I am not done with you yet. Although it's not like you or your little wish would matter anymore now that I am all powerful, but I still _want_ to finish our little game that we started on board the _Misfortune's Keep_. I still want to break you. And I still want to feel your element in my sword. Yes, I still want to make you wish it all away. "

But Jay didn't want to play any of Nadakhan's games anymore. He had lost anyway and there was only one thing - or person - that mattered to him now.

"I'll do it right here and now, if you promise not to hurt Nya." He offered.

The Djinn laughed evilly.

"No, no. This is not how _my_ game goes. You can't just give up now after resisting me for so long. Where is the fun in that?" He complained. "Although if I had known earlier that threatening to hurt _Nya_ instead of you would be the key to get your final wish, that would have saved us a lot of trouble..."

Nadakhan vigorously shook his head.

"No." He stated firmly. "If there's one thing I have learned in all those centuries as a servant, it's that wishes messing with time only cause a lot of trouble and confusion..."

He kept talking and Jay pretended to listen, while tiredly lagging further and further behind the Djinn.

 _Is this how my friends feel when I won't shut up about something they just don't want to hear?_ He thought.

Then, all of a sudden, there was silence. Nadakhan had stopped dead in both his tracks and his speech and he was looking down on himself. Jay could feel the ground tremble beneath his feet even more than before. What was happening?

Finally, the Djinn wordlessly turned around and Jay could see splatters of green all over his chest.

And he understood.

Flintlocke had taken his shot, and it had been a perfect hit. The pirate had just waited for Jay to be in safe distance from his target, so that the Lightning Master would not get poisoned as well.

And, just as Soto had told them, Nadakhan was weakened by the venom and his magic was starting to fail. Having finally been able to fight off his wish, Nya gasped for air. Jay quickly rushed over to catch her shaking body and embraced her tightly. When she hugged him back, it felt to him as if the world was suddenly alright again. But of course he knew that it wasn't. Not yet.

While their brothers turned back to their normal form, Nadakhan still had enough strength to keep them stunned. And the effects of the venom would only be temporary, so this was now the time to act. Jay had to make his wish. It was now or never.

He started walking towards Nadakhan. Trying to keep his voice steady, he broke the silence. "Nadakhan, I w-wish y-you w-weren't..." He started.

"I know exactly what you are planning to do." The weakened Djinn interrupted him. Now that he had discovered Jay's weakness, he was going to use it against him. "I hope you know that, even when I am mortal, _Nya_ will still be my wife."

This caught the two Ninja completely off guard, they had never thought about this.

Sure, Jay had doubts about making _this_ wish before, but, for lack of a better alternative, he had still been determined to go through with it, even though this was certainly not his _wish from the heart_. But, with this new revelation, he just couldn't do it.

Jay's mind was racing. What if he wished to reverse the wedding? That would take away Nadakhan's powers _and_ save Nya, right? But... it would not really stop him but merely delay his plan, until he would find her again – or even somebody else. And they couldn't hide from him forever.

Also, the Djinn had kind of warned him not to turn back time... sure, Nadakhan couldn't be trusted, but Jay felt that in this matter he actually had told the truth.

As he hesitated to make a decision, the effects of the venom were slowly fading.

"The-there are laws, y-you know." Jay desperately told the Djinn. "This w-was a forced wedding, sh-she n-never agreed to m-marrying you."

"Nice try." Nadakhn laughed. "But this here is not Ninjago anymore, this is and will be Djinnjago. _My_ kingdom and _my_ rules!"

This was it. This was the final straw for Jay.

"How can you call yourself king?" He yelled. "Do you really think that this is what your father wanted when he bequeathed to you the _Sword of Souls_? To destroy another realm for your revenge? To become a tyrant? Do you think this is what... _Delara_ would have wanted?"

Nadakhan fell silent and looked at him, his mouth open. This was his own weak point. His _only_ weakness, in fact.

"Yes." Jay continued. "I heard the crew talk about Delara, when I was your prisoner. They all spoke very fondly of her, calling her a fierce pirate with a heart of gold. And she loved Ninjago, it was her home. Oh, if only she was here now. I-I really wish that she could see what has become of you..."

The Blue Ninja took a deep breath. He really had needed this. He had stayed strong and composed for so long, without 'pulling a Jay' (as Cole teasingly called it) and he couldn't deny that _this_ had felt really good.

But, this was the end. He just didn't know what do – or what to wish. His _heart_ was still clueless and now his _brain_ had stopped functioning as well.

Jay closed his eyes and hugged Nya tighter, letting his tears stream down his face. He had failed _her_. No matter what he would do now, he wouldn't be able to save the love of his life from her fate.

Let's face it, the Djinn had won. No, there was no more fighting it. Jay just wanted to wish it all away... And... maybe he could still wish _her_ away with him...

But, out of a sudden, Jay heard something fall. He opened his eyes. Nadakhan had dropped the _Sword of Souls_ and he looked at the Blue Ninja in shock.

"Wha-what did you just say?" Nya asked, her tear-stained _brown_ eyes wide open.

But... Jay was confused. He didn't understand what exactly was going on right now. What _did_ he actually say?

Only when he heard those five words, Jay realised what had just happened:

"Your wish... is yours to keep."

* * *

Part 4: The Djinn's True Love

What happened next was highly unspectacular. Jay had gotten so used to Nadakhan's rather dramatic ways of making an appearance that it was almost disappointing when Delara silently materialised out of nowhere, without any ' _poof!'_ or other special effect.

All of a sudden, she was just standing there, right in the centre of the courtyard. From the way she scanned her surroundings, Jay could tell that she was just as surprised about all this. And she was probably wondering _where_ she was and _how_ she had gotten there.

Although she had just returned from the dead, Delara did not look like the other ghosts they had previously encountered. Her face had the regular [LEGO-]yellow skintone and her outfit showed the same brown, orange, and dark green colours as the other Skypirates' uniforms, although in a much more elegant style accentuating her female curves. The only small detail that revealed her 'condition' was the slightly transparent body.

Jay took a close look at the _Misfortune's Keep_ 's former quartermaster. No, there was no denying that, despite their age difference by quite a few years, Delara had a striking resemblance to Nya. Or maybe the other way around. Their faces and eyes had identical shapes and they also shared the black colour and the style of their short hair. And when he saw the shade of green in Delara's eyes, Jay finally understood why Nadakhan had changed the colour of Nya's eyes earlier.

But the years she had spent living the tough and adventurous life of a pirate had left signs on Delara's body. A long scar ran over her left exposed arm and Jay noticed the serious, hard expression on her face.

"Delara." The Djinn whispered and floated over to her.

She turned around and her face softened immediately. "My love." She replied. "My _only_ wish has finally come true."

When they embraced in a long, passionate kiss, Jay felt like he was invading their private moment, so he buried his face in Nya's hair, while she snuggled into his chest.

"What happened to your arm?" Nadakhan ran his thumb **[I know they don't have fingers, but I didn't want to write 'claw']** along the scar.

"Soto." She replied. "After you were... gone, we - the crew and I - set out to recover the _Teapot of Tyrahn_ from him. It took us several months, until we finally located the _Destiny's Bounty_ and we immediately attacked. While his crew were distracted, I was able to sneak into Soto's quarters and find the teapot. Unfortunately, Soto discovered me and gave me this scar, but I still managed to return to the _Misfortune's_ _Keep_ with the teapot. We then tried to get away, but they wouldn't let us and so the battle went on. In the end, both ships sunk and both crews were floating on nothing but a few planks in the ocean. We were eventually spotted by the governor's fleet who came to 'rescue' us. But I knew that arrested pirates were usually banished as punishment and I didn't want to survive just so that I would have to spend the rest of my life in a different realm, without _any_ chance of ever seeing you again. I held on to the teapot and kept swimming away until... I drowned."

The reunited couple continued to talk quietly among themselves, completely in a world of their own.

"Do you think they would notice if we tried to get away?" Nya whispered.

"I don't know. But Nadakhan _will_ miss you when he wants to make his next wish..." Jay answered. "I don't want to hide from him for the rest of our lives..."

And so they stayed.

 _At least my wish was not completely wasted. Nadakhan is happy to be back with Delara, which means that Nya should have nothing to fear from him in_ that _way. Even though he can't let us go, because he needs her to make his wishes, maybe he'll just leave us alone otherwise..._

"Where are we, my love?" Delara asked. "I don't remember this place."

The Djinn, who was still holding her in two of his arms, gestured around with his other two appendages. "This, my dear, is _our_ new home." He told her. "This is Djinnjago."

"Djinnjago?" She was surprised. "Of course, you have told me about your home realm. But... from what I remember I would have expected it to look... different. What happened to this place? And... where is your family?"

Nadakhan's expression darkened.

"The _real_ Djinnjago has been destroyed and I am the last one of my kind. But before he died, my father finally accepted me as his son and he gave me the _Sword of Souls_ , the mighty weapon of the Djinn King." He told his lover. "With its power, I was able to recreate my home. Unfortunately, there were a few... people here who did not agree with my plan." Nadakhan pointed at the stunned Ninja. "But don't worry, I took care of them and now we can turn this place into whatever we want to. I can give you whatever you wish for."

"But how?" Delara was confused. "I thought..."

"Thanks to _her_."

Only then she noticed Jay and Nya who were still holding on to each other.

"You mean her? She-she looks so much like me... And... why is he wearing... your mother's dress...?"

And Delara understood. "You-you've replaced me?" She turned away from her lover. "And with a scared little girl?"

"This _scared little girl_ is gonna kick your butt..." Nya hissed furiously and it took all of Jay's strength to hold her back.

"Delara." The Djinn tried to console her. "I only married her to become the new Djinn King. But she could never replace you in my heart."

"You've married _her_ , yet you still claim to love _me_? This is not the way to treat _either_ of us." Delara stated firmly. "And how exactly did you _create_ this New Djinnjago?"

She walked away from the pirate captain, to the edge of the floating island. "Is this... Ninjago?" She asked, when she saw the shattered land below her.

"I had to.. borrow a few pieces to build this place for us."

Delara turned back to the Djinn King, fury glistening in her green eyes. "You've destroyed parts of _my_ home to recreate a place that has disowned you, just so you could satisfy your grand ego and become king." She told him. "No, you haven't done anything for _us_ , Nadakhan. You've only built this place for yourself."

"Delara..."

"Did you honestly think that I would approve of this? Because... if you did, then... you never knew me at all." She said, sorrow in her voice.

"Forgive me my love." Nadakhan responed. "And if you wish so, I-we will fix everything."

" _We_ will not fix anything."

"Please... don't leave me." And with this, the mighty Djinn King fell to his knees, a pleading look on his face.

Jay even began to feel sorry for him. This was not one of Nadakhan's usual tricks. No, just like Jay himself, he was willing to do anything for his true love. And the Blue Ninja knew too well how much it hurt to be rejected by exactly this very person.

"I believe you. And I still love you. But, I cannot stay here. After all, this is _your_ and _her_ kingdom, not mine." Delara told him.

"Then I _wish_ for you to stay!" Nadakhan shouted desperately.

"Ah, but don't you remember? You've once made a promise to me, _never_ to use _anyone's_ wish against me?" She pointed at Jay. " _His_ wish only worked because _I_ longed for the same."

She gently kissed his head. "Goodbye, my love."

Delara went to pick up the _Sword of Souls_ that was still lying in its same spot. She then came over to the two Ninja who had finally raised from their previous position.

"All I ever wished for was to see him again. But I should have known that wishes _never_ turn out the way you want them to... I still thank you." She told them with a broken smile, handing the sword to Jay. "I think you know what to do to save your home. Our home. Take good care of it." Jay nodded. Delara looked at Nya. "And you take good care of him. I can see that you are more than just a scared little girl."

The female pirate began to fade away.

Jay took Nya's hand and together they walked over to Nadakhan who was still kneeling on the ground. Nya took the Lightning Master's hand. Yes, they both knew what Jay had to do. And how much depended on it. But that still didn't make it easier to actually go through with it.

"N-now you know wha-what it feels like to lose everything – or everyone – that is important to you. Now you know what you have done to _us_." Jay began, his voice trembling. "It-it hurts, doesn't it? But... there is an easy way to end your suffering. Just…" This was it. He swallowed, feeling Nya give his hand an encouraging squeeze. "… just say it and you don't have to feel anything anymore..."

"I wish..." Nadakhan whispered. "I wish... it all away."

* * *

Part 5: Aftermath

Jay stood at the edge of the temple grounds, looking down towards Ninjago. Although he had already spent a lot of – _and definitely_ _way too much_ – time on the floating islands, he had not been able earlier to appreciate the marvellous view over his homelands from up here. He could see areas that had been severely damaged by the falling rocks and, of course, the multitude of large and small craters, where pieces of the land were missing. But still...

"It's beautiful, isn't it? I am glad that there is still a good bit of Ninjago left." Jay turned to see his best friend standing next to him. Cole placed a hand on Jay's shoulder. "You did really well. And not just today..." Here, he finally got to say it.

Jay sighed. "Thanks. It's just strange... despite all that happened, I feel kinda sorry for Nadakhan. He truly loved Delara and all he _really_ wanted was to have her back... And then, when she left him, he just... gave up."

Cole grinned. "I guess people – and apparently Djinns as well – do a lot of stupid things for love, heh? Not that _I_ would really know…"

The two friends walked over to Zane and Lloyd who sat on an overturned pillar on one side of the courtyard. The sword of the Djinn King was lying on the ground between them.

"My mum is on her way to pick us up." Lloyd told his teammates. "We thought that you would prefer to take the _Bounty_ down rather than your dragon."

"Thanks. I've really missed our ship." Jay nodded, yawning. _And I need my bed._ _"_ Where are the others?"

"Nya wanted to see if she could find her Ninja gi and get changed. Kai didn't want her to go alone." The Green Ninja answered. "Flintlocke and Dogshank left with the raid zeppelin. They didn't say where they were going, but they've promised to keep in touch."

Jay smiled. _I bet they are heading towards the coast, they've always preferred the seas to the skys._

"PIXAL and I have completed a full analysis of Djinnjago." Zane explained. "Thanks to Nadakhan's power, the _Sword of Souls_ is now strong enough to keep all the islands stably afloat in the sky. We might be able to convince the people who have lost their lands to move up here."

"We have to keep the sword safe, of course." Lloyd added.

"Yeah, because we did such a great job with the Realm Crystal..." Kai commented. He and his sister had just returned from the ruins of Sensei Yang's temple.

"Ah, this feels _much_ better." Nya proudly presented her Airjitzu suit to her teammates.

"And is suits you very well, maybe should wear this for your _next_ wedding then." Cole told her, giving a wink at Jay.

Jay blushed. "Uhm... so... what shall we do until Misako arrives with the Bounty?" He asked, eager to change the topic.

"I think I'm heading down to Ninjago on my elemental dragon now, I could do with some exercise after being stuck in that stupid sword for so long." Was Kai's answer. "And they could probably use some help down there."

"Are you going to find out how much exactly we owe to Skylor?" Cole asked with a smirk. "Don't think she was talking about money..."

"Maybe I will..." The Red Ninja replied.

Jay was sure that there was another reason why Kai had wanted to leave straight away. It must be painful for the Red Ninja to see his sister in her new outfit. The Airjitzu suit kind of stood for everything that had happened during the time that Kai was gone. Everything that he had missed.

When they had lost their parents, Kai had sworn to protect Nya. And he had always done so. He had only joined the team in the first place to rescue Nya from Lord Garmadon. Also, Jay knew that Kai had been very proud of the fact that he had witnessed every important event and milestone in his sister's life: her first words, her first steps, the first time she did Spinjitzu (although _that_ had been a rather unpleasant experience back on the Dark Island). But he had _not_ seen her do Airjitzu for the first time. Cole and Lloyd had. And Kai had _not_ been around to save her from Nadakhan. Jay had.

"With your permission, I would like to join you on the journey, Kai." Zane said. "I also want to give my support to the people on the ground. And there is another... new friend... down there I would like to thank."

"Alright, let's go."

Kai gave his sister a firm hug, before he and the Titanium Ninja headed off on their dragons.

The four remaining teammates sat down again.

"I am so glad that in the end Nadakhan has revoked all the wishes, his and ours." Lloyd remarked, a smile on his - young again - face. "I thought growing up fast was hard, but turning old like this was even worse."

"Yes, maybe he had some genuine regrets about what he has done to us." Nya suggested. "Or maybe he did it for Delara…"

"But why did he not release his crew as well?" The Green Ninja wondered.

"He was deeply hurt when they joined us, maybe he still wanted to punish them." Nya speculated.

"Or maybe, because he just couldn't." Cole suggested. "Remember, Nadakhan never _wished_ for them to appear. He used the _Realm Crystal_ to summon them, just as he used the _Sword of Souls_ to create Djinnjago."

"I guess we'll never know..." Jay stated. "And without the Realm Crystal, there is no way of sending them back to where they were before. Which means they are stuck here all on their own."

"They should still know their way around Ninjago. I am sure they'll be fine."

Cole was actually doing a pretty good job at delivering the _power of positive thinking_ to the team.

But it was time for Jay to take back that role. "And so will we." He said in a determined voice.

Feeling Nya take his hand into hers, Jay looked at his love. And when he saw her smiling at him, he _finally_ was able to believe in these words again himself.

Yes, with time - maybe rather more than less - and with a little help from old and new friends, they would _somehow_ manage to recover from the recent events. As would Ninjago.

But before _any_ of this would happen, Jay urgently needed to sleep now.


End file.
